Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Expected to require IL stint
Rotowire
DeJong (back) said Monday that he expects to begin the season on the injured list, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
DeJong had been slated to return to Grapefruit League play in the designated hitter spot Tuesday, but he had a setback with his lower-back injury while fielding grounders Monday. He doesn't expect to be able to get into another spring game, so being ready for Opening Day isn't realistic. With DeJong out, the Cardinals could consider carrying Taylor Motter as a backup at shortstop behind Tommy Edman.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Hits snag, iffy for Opening Day
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that DeJong recently suffered a setback in his recovery from back soreness and is questionable to be ready to go for Opening Day, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
DeJong's back issue first cropped up March 14, but after he made some progress in the days that followed, the Cardinals had been earmarking Tuesday's game against the Nationals for his return to the Grapefruit League lineup. Those plans have now been scrapped in light of DeJong's setback, but Marmol said the Cardinals will put a plan together later Monday to see when or if a return to the lineup is possible for the shortstop before the end of the spring. If DeJong is forced to the injured list to begin the season, the move could pave the way for non-roster invitee Taylor Motter to make the Cardinals' Opening Day squad as a reserve infielder.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: No timetable for return
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DeJong (back) is making progress but there's no timetable for his return to games, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
DeJong is dealing with some lower-back tightness. It's notable that Brendan Donovan has been seeing some action at shortstop lately, which could be an indication the Cardinals think they could need him as a backup there in the event DeJong isn't ready for Opening Day.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Day-to-day with back injury
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said DeJong will be "sidelined for a few days" while the shortstop contends with back tightness, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
DeJong was pulled from the lineup ahead of the Cardinals' Grapefruit League game Tuesday versus the Astros due to the injury, which Marmol said is bothering the 29-year-old when he's bending over to field grounders. The skipper noted that the issue isn't bothering DeJong at the plate, so it's possible that he'll still be able to get at-bats in spring games as designated hitter while he waits for the back tightness to dissipate.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Scratched due to back tightness
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DeJong is being evaluated for lower-back tightness, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
That's the reason for his late removal from the Cardinals' Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday. DeJong is considered day-to-day for now. Masyn Winn will start at shortstop and bat eighth against the Astros.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Scratched from lineup Tuesday
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DeJong was scratched from the Cardinals' Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday against the Astros.
No reason has been given yet, though it's notable that DeJong had some trouble with arm fatigue at the start of Grapefruit League play. Top prospect Masyn Winn is in at shortstop and batting eighth Tuesday.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Playing shortstop Tuesday
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DeJong, who has been dealing with fatigue in his right arm, will be back at shortstop Tuesday for a Grapefruit League contest against the Tigers, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
DeJong has been limited to designated hitter as of late while dealing with the fatigue, but he's been cleared to return to the infield. The 29-year-old is attempting to win a utility role with St. Louis to begin the 2023 season with Tommy Edman expected to get most of the reps at shortstop this season.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Cleared for throwing
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DeJong (arm) was cleared to resume full throwing Thursday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
DeJong has been limited to designated hitter so far in Grapefruit League games because of some right arm fatigue, but it appears he's now received full clearance. With Tommy Edman slated to serve as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop in 2023, DeJong is looking at a utility infielder role.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Closing in on full throwing
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that DeJong (arm) will take part in light throwing across the diamond for the next couple of days before slowly ramping back up to full throwing, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
DeJong may be a week or more away from being ready to play shortstop in spring games, but his bout with what the team is describing as a case of "dead arm" won't prevent him from getting in at-bats during Grapefruit League play. He's slated to serve as the Cardinals' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Monday's game against the Mets in what will mark his second appearance of the exhibition slate.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Dealing with dead arm
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DeJong is dealing with dead arm, but the Cardinals aren't particularly concerned, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The issue is being framed as nothing more than the usual soreness that affects many players at the start of camp. DeJong won't throw Saturday and won't take the field in game action for a few days, but he's able to serve as the designated hitter. The Cardinals hope he'll play the field by next weekend.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Retools swing
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DeJong has removed a high leg kick from his swing, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
DeJong has a tumultuous 2022, which saw him in and out of the mix for the starting shortstop job. He ended the campaign with a paltry .157/.245/.286 slash line across 77 games in the majors, which prompted him to work on his plate mechanics during the offseason. DeJong figures to be in competition for a spot on the major-league roster throughout spring training -- a number of moving parts in the infield, such as where Tommy Edman plays, will likely have an impact on DeJong's role.
DeJong has gone 4-for-36 (.111) since the start of September.
He's played in 20 games in that span, recording just one extra-base hit -- an RBI double in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Pirates. DeJong has started to regain some playing time since the Cardinals clinched a playoff spot, starting three of the last four games at shortstop. The 29-year-old is still slashing a meager .152/.241/.288 with six home runs, 25 RBI, 17 runs scored and three stolen bases through 74 contests this year, with his defense likely the only thing between him and another demotion.
Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Loses hold of regular role
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DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
DeJong is on the bench for the fifth time in six games and appears to have ceded his everyday role to Brendan Donovan, who has picked up steady run of late at designated hitter and multiple infield and outfield spots while Tommy Edman has shifted over to DeJong's spot at shortstop. The downturn in playing time comes after DeJong has gone 2-for-37 with 19 strikeouts over his last 14 games.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Stuck on bench again
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DeJong will be on the bench Saturday against Atlanta, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
DeJong has now sat for four of the last five games, a move that's likely linked to his .054/.167/.135 slash line over his last 13 games. He's struck out at a 45.2 percent clip during that slump. Tommy Edman will again handle shortstop in his absence.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Sitting Friday
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DeJong will be on the bench Friday against Atlanta, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
DeJong appeared to have figured things out in the minors following his early May demotion, and he returned in late July to post an 1.108 OPS in his first 13 games back. He's fallen off a cliff since then, grabbing just two hits in his last 12 games while striking out 19 times. Tommy Edman will start at shortstop Friday for the third time in four games.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Idle Wednesday
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DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
After sitting out the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, DeJong is on the bench for a second consecutive contest, though he still appears to be the Cardinals' top option at shortstop. Since rejoining the Cardinals in late July following an extended stay at Triple-A Memphis, DeJong has produced an .800 OPS while driving in 17 runs in 23 games.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Steps out of lineup in Game 2
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DeJong is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Cubs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
DeJong started the past five games and will take a seat after going 0-for-2 with a walk during the Cardinals' loss in Game 1. Tommy Edman will shift to shortstop in the nightcap while Brendan Donovan receives a start in the infield.
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Cardinals' Paul DeJong: Slugs grand slam
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DeJong went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Saturday's 16-7 win over the Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals responded to Arizona's three-run rally in the eighth inning with an eight-run ninth, with DeJong accounting for half of that burst. His grand slam snapped an 0-for-20 skid at the plate, and it helped him avoid a sixth straight hitless game. The shortstop had hit well since his call-up from Triple-A Memphis, but the recent skid has dropped him back to a .176/.256/.359 slash line for the year. He's added six homers, 24 RBI, 15 runs scored and three stolen bases in 43 contests.
